Chapter 74: Chapter 68: Grand Competition of the Clan Relatives In secret, they could cross blades. But on the surface, they had to maintain an appearance of utmost respect and awe. Not that Li Chang’an needed any of it. But for Ye Xuan’s safety, he had no choice but to accept. For years, Lou Qixiang had stayed by Ye Xuan’s side almost every day. Yet even with a First-class Master as her Guardian, she had still faced several dangerous situations. It was easy to imagine just how vicious the environment in the Imperial Palace truly was. Ye Xuan had no power, no influence, and no foundation. In a place like this, that meant she was at anyone’s mercy, often fated to die without even knowing how it happened. Now, the Emperor had finally had a pang of conscience and bestowed upon her the title of Pure Consort, giving her a public Protective Talisman of sorts. Ye Xuan didn’t show much excitement about the reward. When she saw Li Chang’an, however, she couldn’t help but step forward and stroke his head. The mother and son had been separated more often than not since they last parted over a year ago. At first, Ye Xuan was puzzled as to why Li Chang’an stayed in the Library Pavilion every day without coming out. Later, she figured it out: it must be dangerous for him if he left. So, she eventually came to accept it. Only when she missed him terribly would she, under Lou Qixiang’s escort, go to the outside of the Library Pavilion and have a soldier announce her, allowing her to meet with Li Chang’an for a short while. After the rewards were given, the Emperor looked at Li Chang’an and couldn’t help but ask, "My son, I heard you’ve earned the Old Ancestor’s appreciation in the Library Pavilion?" Li Chang’an nodded but said nothing. The Emperor was long accustomed to his youngest son’s lukewarm attitude, so he didn’t get angry. Instead, he couldn’t help but complain, "That Old Ancestor... How old are you? He gives you a Waist Token just like that. I don’t even know if he’s trying to help you or harm you!" He muttered a few half-hearted curses under his breath. But then, Emperor Yan suddenly felt a bit guilty. He glanced left and right before cautiously shutting his mouth. The one in the Library Pavilion was notoriously petty among the Old Ancestors. It was fine if his curses weren’t heard, but if they were, he might find himself in trouble one day. ... After the Royal Family members had gradually gathered at the Martial Arts Arena, a gray-robed old man of indeterminate age suddenly flew out from the depths of the Imperial Palace and landed on the ground. When the old man appeared, every member of the Royal Family, including Emperor Yan, showed a look of reverence. The entire Martial Arts Arena fell silent in an instant. The old man was one of the few Grandmasters in the world today. He was also the eldest of the Dayan Imperial Family’s six current Old Ancestors, a true, pillar-of-the-sky Guardian God standing behind the Dayan Dynasty. The old man’s hair was completely gray, and his body was slightly stooped. Yet, apart from a very few people present, including Emperor Yan, most of the Royal Family didn’t even know how old he was. They only knew that when they were young, the Old Ancestor already looked this way. Now, many of them already had one foot in the grave. The Old Ancestor, aside from his qi and blood seeming a little weaker, hadn’t changed much at all. Standing in the Martial Arts Arena, the old man’s sharp gaze swept over everyone present, but his attention was mostly focused on the Princes and Princesses around eighteen or nineteen years old. Upon discovering that the achievements of the younger generation on the Martial Dao were all rather unsightly, the old man sighed silently, closed his eyes, and said faintly, "Let’s begin." As his voice fell, a group of mysterious figures in black clothes and black robes appeared in the Martial Arts Arena. There were nine of these mysterious black-robed figures. They stood on the central fighting stage of the Martial Arts Arena, arranged in descending order, each as silent as water, coldly observing the crowd below. When they saw this group of black-clad figures, the fear in the eyes of the many Royal Family members intensified, as if they were reminded of some unpleasant memories. Li Chang’an stood beside Emperor Yan. ’Stretching my legs and getting the qualification to go to the fourth floor of the Library Pavilion.’ That was all he had thought when he first came here. After all, competing on the same stage with a bunch of useless hedonists was truly dull. At this moment, however, upon seeing the ’black-clad figures’ on the stage, wrapped from head to toe in black robes, a sharp glint suddenly erupted in Li Chang’an’s eyes. Seeing the astonished look on his face, the Seventh Princess, Li Linlin, who was beside him, whispered, "Little brother, this is your first time at the Clan Relatives’ Grand Competition. Let me explain the rules to you!" She had a very good impression of Li Chang’an. To prevent Li Chang’an from being bullied or belittled by the other Princes and Princesses, she had even deliberately pulled him over to her side. Hearing this, Li Chang’an nodded and said, "Thank you, Sister Linlin!" Seeing how warmly he addressed her, Li Linlin’s eyes curved into crescents. If the situation weren’t inappropriate, she probably would have been eager to pat Li Chang’an on the head. ’This little brother is so clever and adorable it’s unreal!’ Composing herself, Li Linlin began, "See those figures in black on the stage? We usually call them ’Iron Guards,’ ’Iron Lumps,’ or ’Monsters’ in private. Every one of them is a Martial Artist. Their Martial Arts Realms are in descending order: Non-stream, Third-class, Second-class, First-class, Acquired, Innate, and Grandmaster. After the Grandmaster Realm, there are two more whose Realms are unknown..." "What we Princes and Princesses have to do is choose an Iron Guard of the same Realm to fight. The longer you last against them, the better your score. If your overall strength ranks in the top three, you get the qualification to enter the fourth floor of the Library Pavilion!" Speaking of which, even she couldn’t help but rub the goosebumps that had appeared on her arms. She continued with a hint of fear, "But every one of those guys has ridiculously tough skin and thick flesh. When you fight them, it’s like battling monsters forged from steel. They’re absurdly strong!" "Little brother, if things look bad later, don’t try to be a hero. The Iron Guards won’t hold back just because you’re a Prince. In past Grand Competitions, there have even been disciples of the Royal Family who didn’t train diligently and were killed on stage with a single punch!" Listening to Li Linlin’s incessant chatter... Li Chang’an glanced up again at the black-robed figures on the Martial Arts Arena, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he said, "I understand." About a minute or two after the Iron Guards appeared on the stage, someone with a roster began calling out names. When their names were called, a slight commotion stirred among the group of Clan Relatives. Soon, seven or eight middle-aged men, who looked to be around thirty, walked onto the stage with terrified expressions. They had also cultivated the Martial Dao for a long time in their youth. But as they got older and realized they lacked the aptitude to reach the pinnacle, they had started to slack off. Clearly, the triennial Clan Relatives’ Grand Competition was nothing short of torture for them. But not going up wasn’t an option. The Old Ancestor was watching from above. Unless they had a death wish, they had to go up when their name was called, even if it meant losing an arm or a leg. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺 The Clan Relatives went up. The Clan Relatives bravely launched a basic attack. The Clan Relatives were quickly defeated, calling "GG" while drenched in sweat. Of course, that’s the more dignified way of putting it. In reality, the battle was almost too painful to watch. It was a one-sided slaughter. If they hadn’t surrendered fast enough, many of them probably wouldn’t have even lasted three moves before dying on the spot. Seeing this, almost everyone in the audience was covered in a cold sweat. Many of the Royal Family and Relatives even buried their heads like ostriches, terrified their names would be called next. The Eldest Prince, sitting not far away, glanced over his pale-faced brothers, sisters, and other disciples of the Royal Family, a contemptuous sneer forming on his lips. He silently took off the Python Robe draped over his shoulders, stood up, and declared, "To think that our Great Derivation was founded on the martial way over 1,300 years ago, yet now the Imperial Family has produced so many useless fools who lack even the heart for martial arts. They only know how to fight for power and indulge in pleasure. What a colossal joke!" ...